Boy, 16, cycles 3,000km from Xinjiang to Tibet

The 16-year-old senior high school student Xu Ziheng (right) finished his trip through Xinjiang and Tibet with the help of a bike enthusiast Yan Xiliang，after cycling 3,150 kilometers in 46 days. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Unfortunately, they encountered heavy avalanches, and the landslides blocked the road they had planned to take.

They were trapped in a small village until April 5.

The continual difficulties during their trip-serious altitude sickness, intense UV radiation, absence of human beings in sparsly populated areas and lack of fresh food-kept testing the boy's will.

"The care of Yan was the great help and encouragement for me to finish the trip," Xu said gratefully.

What impressed Xu more were the people he met during the trip.

"I still remember the warm smiles on the faces of children in Tibet," said Xu. "They said hello in nonstandard Mandarin and 'tashidelek' in Tibetan to us."

Before he returned from Tibet, Xu bought a hundred bags and some candy with his money and sent them to the children living in poverty in a primary school.

"I felt quite honored that I finished the tour. The experience helped me hone a spirit of persistence and fearlessness. I believe I can overcome any difficulty I meet in the future," Xu said.